Dispelix Oy will commercialize a display that provides visual information as a high-definition image on an eyeglass lens.

According to VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, which developed the product, it will enable smartglasses to function as smartphones or tablets while not impeding eyeglass wearers' ability to see.

The technology is based on lightguide optics, which enables the manufacture of displays on glass or plastic in the form of light elements with a thickness of one millimeter. The size of the virtual image, which forms within the user's field of vision, is equivalent to a 60-inch TV viewed from a distance of three meters.

The size of the virtual image is equivalent to a 60-inch TV viewed from a distance of three meters. Image credit: Juha Sarkkinen.Dispelix's display can be customized to meet different customer needs. Depending on the application, either simple, monochrome information or a multi-colored video image can be displayed within the user's field of vision.

According to its developers, the displays are designed to enable exercise, work and motor sports applications. For example, athletes could be able to view their pulse rate and activity data on sport glasses, rather than having to check a watch. Smartglasses could potentially boost work efficiency by allowing employees the use of both hands while learning about a task from their glasses.

The displays are ready for volume production, and Dispelix says it aims to make the first customer deliveries in 2016.